Believe it or not, I have a friend who has mice in her bed. She’s had to have all of her linen changed (the mice got into a few things) and she’s been sleeping on the couch.
Mice are one of the most common pest animals we deal with and they can become a serious problem if you don’t take action immediately.
If you have ever experienced a rodent issue in your home, then you know how bad it can be.
The good news is you’ve come to just the right place. Don’t worry because you and your family members will feel safe in no time.
Indicators That Mice Are Present in the Bedroom
When it comes to stealth, mice are experts. As a result, it takes a long time to detect them in a bedroom. If you believe you have mice in your room, look for these possible signs:
- Droppings – Finding mouse droppings means you have mice in the area. The droppings are about a quarter of an inch in size. The color of the excrement will vary depending on how long it’s been there. Older droppings take on a grayish color whilst fresh ones are typically dark and moist.
- Scratching Noises – Mice are nocturnal creatures which means you will likely hear their sounds of movement at night. These squeaking and scratching noises can be heard most clearly near walls when they’re communicating or running around in search of food.
- Bad smell and traces of urine – these rodents urinate anywhere and everywhere – and they’ll even do it on your bed if you give them the chance. If you notice a strong scent of ammonia in your bedroom area, then there’s a chance you might have a mice infestation on your hands.
How Do You Keep Mice Away From Your Bed?
The best way to keep mice away from your bed is to prevent these rodents from entering your home in the first place. Here are the top 12 effective ways to keep those rodents away:
1. Get a Cat
Cats are well-known for being mice’s worst adversary. If you discover a mouse infestation in your home, buying a cat can be a good option.
Remember, cats can detect mice from a mile away and will not waste time hunting them down.
Mice also have an intrinsic capacity to detect when cats are nearby and will try to avoid crossing paths with them.
If you think you have mice in your bedroom, sleeping with your cats is an easy approach to keep them out for good.
2. Get Rid of Garbage
Mice and rats are attracted to uncovered and overflowing trash cans. This is because they can easily scavenge for food when they are hungry.
Remember that mice aren’t fussy eaters, so you could be surprised at what prompted them to rummage through your trash.
Experts say that regularly disposing of rubbish is a good way to start getting rid of mice in your house.
Also, whether indoors or out, your garbage cans should always be covered. Even if it’s only halfway filled, it’s a good idea to make sure it’s completely covered.
Something that could help is to make sure that food waste is properly disposed of in the garbage bags and that no food crumbs are left around your room.
3. At Night, Empty Pet Water Bowls
Mice, in addition to a food supply, require a suitable water supply to flourish in their environment.
Any source of water is fair game in their eyes. To keep them away, it may be necessary to cut off any potential water supplies.
Make sure your kitchen sinks are completely dry at all times, especially before going to sleep.
Also, emptying all pet water bowls at night and refilling them when you wake up is a smart idea. This ensures that the rats do not rely on them for water.
4. Keep All Food Sealed
When you leave food out in the open, rodents will flock to your house. When they’re hungry, these rats won’t mind gnawing through the plastic-covered food.
Foods like pet food, oatmeal, and snacks can draw mice and rats to your kitchen countertops and even to the tabletops.
The best solution is to keep foods sealed while they are not in use.
If you truly want to keep mice away permanently, you should avoid keeping the food in the open after use.
5. Place Mouse Traps
Traps are an effective way to trap and remove mice and rats from your home.
Mousetraps come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with varying degrees of effectiveness, so you must pick which one is ideal for you.
For animal lovers, there’s the option of getting humane traps. Setting traps in regions where mice move and reside is an excellent strategy for getting efficient results.
In our experience, trapping mice around the kitchen’s entry, as well as at the stoves and kitchen cabinets, is an excellent way to catch them.
If you find one in your bedroom then don’t think twice about setting a few traps around the bedroom door and under the bed as well.
Baiting mouse traps with peanut butter or hazelnut spread works well.
The following are some of the most common mousetraps:
- Glue Traps. (for catching and releasing – humane trap)
- Snap Traps.
- Traps with electricity.
6. Avoid Eating in Bed
Consuming snacks or meals when in bed should be avoided at all costs. This is one of the most effective techniques to bring mice into your room.
Never take these rodents lightly since they have a keen sense of smell. Mice will not hesitate to approach any safe place where there are food sources.
There’s always the risk of leaving crumbs, no matter how careful you are. If you’re having trouble breaking your habit of eating in bed, make sure your bedroom is spotless afterward and change your linens regularly.
7. Get Your House in Order
Mice are attracted to dirt and clutter. If you haven’t cleaned your house in a few months, this might be the cause of the rodent infestation.
Keeping them at bay requires a thorough cleaning of your entire home, particularly your bedroom.
Keep your space clutter-free so they don’t have many places to hide or nest. Rodents will not be able to hide or build their mice nests in clean spaces.
8. Do Not Sleep On The Floor
More than ever before, a lot of people in American households are choosing to sleep on the floor.
Many individuals tout the advantages of this, which range from back pain relief to cool sleeping.
However, sleeping on the floor exposes your mattress to mice. This is especially noticeable after you’ve switched off the lights.
If you don’t like the idea of a standard bed, an elevated surface like a low-profile box spring is a wonderful option. You could even resume sleeping on the floor once the mice have been exterminated.
9. Set the Bed Back From the Wall
If the thought of snuggling up in your bed with mice makes you nervous, it’s probably time to move your bed away from the bedroom walls.
This is owing to mice’s ability to climb up walls using a variety of tactics. As long as your bed is next to a wall, the rats will always find a way onto it.
This can be avoided by moving your bed to the center of the room or away from a wall.
10. Sealing Holes And Gaps
All it takes for a mouse to squeeze in is just one tiny hole.
Mice can be permanently eliminated by completely closing cracks and small holes in your bedroom and other areas of your home.
People are always perplexed as to how these rats gain access to their homes in the first place.
A thorough inspection is essential to locate all cracks and fissures throughout your home.
They should be rapidly sealed once discovered to prevent new mice from entering. Door sweeps are a good method to seal off the door gaps completely.
Once you’ve determined that you have mice in your home, you can work out the best way to get rid of them.
Remember that these pesky rodents can squeeze through the tiniest of openings. So make sure to seal all potential entry points.
11. Inspect The Ceiling
Ceilings can offer a convenient breeding place for mice.
If you’ve been hearing signs of munching or running about in the ceiling at night then a proper ceiling inspection is what you need.
If you aren’t physically capable of climbing to the ceiling or have physical constraints that make it difficult, the only thing you may be able to do is to hire someone else to complete the task.
Such inspections usually expose thriving populations of mice in ceilings which could require pest control.
12. Essential Oils
Essential oils act as natural repellents for mice and rats, keeping them out of your bedroom. These oils have a lovely aroma that helps humans and cats sleep better by calming them.
Rodents are repulsed by these odors and will avoid areas where they have been employed.
You could also use an electric diffuser to spread the fragrance of your oils about your room, or you could dip cotton balls in the oil and scatter them around.
Peppermint oil is the most popular essential oil for keeping mice away – and giving you a good night’s sleep.
The smell of peppermint is a sharp odor that is similar to menthol. Other suitable oils include lemongrass oil and tea tree oil, both of which can produce the same result.
Conclusion
The majority of these techniques try to eliminate house mice in a humane way.
If none of the aforementioned methods work or you just don’t have the time to do it yourself, why not employ a professional exterminator?
They specialize in eliminating pests such as rodents and insects from homes and workplaces.
They don’t come cheap, but you can rest assured that they are a permanent solution.
Exterminators may be found online, or you can ask friends or neighbors for recommendations.
Make sure to tell them as much as you can about your condition so you can negotiate a fair fee.
We hope you found this post useful, and please leave any questions or comments in the space below. We’d be delighted to help!
